This invention relates to an apparatus for removing strip material used for rearing hatchlings in the time period immediately after hatching. The term xe2x80x9chatchlingsxe2x80x9d used herein is primarily directed to chicks but is also intended to include any hatched birds such as turkeys, geese, ducks which are reared intensively.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,759 issued Jun. 18, 1996 by Cox is disclosed an apparatus for laying chick feed support paper. Such paper is used to provide a protective layer on the floor of a containment pen on which the hatchlings are placed when supplied to the pen to grow into larger birds. It is well known that placing the hatchlings or chicks on paper strip with feed immediately accessible to them reduces mortality and encourages growth.
Such paper strips have been available for some years and have replaced more traditional paper trays or other disposable materials onto which the birds can be placed with the feed material accessible to them.
Traditionally such paper strip is laid along the floor of an empty barn manually by unrolling from a roll and a strip of feed material is poured or placed on the strip before the chicks are manually carried in to the pen and deposited on the paper with the feed.
Cox provides a trailer arrangement which carries a roll of the paper strip, in which a groove is formed in the material, such as straw or wood shavings, forming the floor surface and the paper is laid into the groove by a rolling wheel which holds the strip in place as it is unrolled from a supply. This device has apparently found little commercial success and is believed not to be available on the market place.
In a co-pending application filed on Sep. 30, 2003 by Maendel under Ser. No. 10/673,553 is disclosed an arrangement for automating the laying of the paper and feed thus reducing the requirements for manual operators in the process and providing a machine which reduces the unpleasantness of the process, while at the same time providing an improved placement of the feed on the paper.
However other aspects of the process still require manual operation which is often unpleasant due to the presence of the manure from the birds and which can damage the birds which are still weak and thus prone to be trampled.
It is one object of the invention to provide a strip removal apparatus for use in the process of rearing hatchlings in the time period immediately after hatching.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus comprising:
a vehicle having ground wheels for movement over a floor of a containment area for raising hatchlings into birds;
the ground wheels being arranged for movement of the vehicle to follow a path of a strip of sheet material laid over the floor;
a support on the vehicle for receiving a roll of the sheet material such that the sheet material can be wound into the roll from the floor as the vehicle is moved across the floor;
the support being arranged for removal of the wound roll from the support when wound for disposal;
and the support being arranged to be driven for winding the strip onto the roll.
Preferably the vehicle comprises a hand cart with guide handles for propelling of the vehicle by pushing by a user walking with the vehicle.
Preferably the vehicle comprises a hand cart with wheels allowing hand steering of the hand cart.
Preferably the vehicle is arranged to be propelled by the drive mechanism for driving rotation of the support causing a pulling action on the strip. This provides an arrangement which is inexpensive in that there is only one drive mechanism which controls both the rolling and the forwarding action thus making it easier to control. Where the movement is slowed or halted in the event of an obstacle or obstruction, the power to move the cart forwardly can be assisted by the user providing a pushing action.
In one arrangement, the drive mechanism for driving rotation of the support comprises a motor driven by a power source on the vehicle such as a battery for an electric motor. Alternatively other power sources may be used such as a clockwork type spring, which may be driven prior to use by a hand crank at a geared-up rate to wind up the spring so that unwinding of the spring drives the roller while the user walks behind the cart and can concentrate on guiding the cart and avoiding the hatchlings.
Alternatively the drive mechanism for driving rotation of the support may comprise a hand crank arranged to be driven by a user while walking alongside the vehicle, thus making an less expensive and hand operated arrangement.
Preferably the hand crank is arranged at a height to be driven by the user while standing adjacent the hand cart and wherein the support is arranged at a front of the hand cart adjacent the floor for rolling the strip from the floor and wherein there is provided a drive coupling for communicating drive from the hand crank to the support.
Whether the drive mechanism is motor powered or hand driven, advantageously it is operable by a user for controlling the rate of winding, thus allowing the rate of movement to be controlled to avoid damaging birds which are slower to move from the path of the cart.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus comprising:
a hand cart operable by a user walking with the cart, the hand cart having ground wheels for movement over a floor of a containment area for raising hatchlings into birds;
the ground wheels being arranged for steering movement of the cart by the user to follow a path of a strip of sheet material laid over the floor;
a support on the cart for receiving a roll of the sheet material such that the sheet material can be wound into the roll from the floor as the vehicle is moved across the floor;
and a drive mechanism operable by the user for driving rotation of the support on the cart for winding the strip onto the roll at a rate determined by the user;
the support being arranged for removal of the wound roll from the support when wound for disposal;
the hand cart being arranged to be propelled solely by the winding of the strip onto the roll providing a pulling action on the cart and by pushing by the user.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of raising hatchlings comprising:
laying a strip of a sheet material over the floor of a barn for containing the hatchlings;
providing a layer of feed on the strip for eating by the hatchlings;
placing the hatchlings on the strip;
and, after the hatchlings have grown sufficiently to move from the strip, providing a vehicle having ground wheels for movement over the floor;
moving the vehicle to follow a path of the strip of sheet material laid over the floor;
providing a support on the vehicle for receiving a roll of the sheet material such that the sheet material can be wound into the roll from the floor as the vehicle is moved across the floor;
driving rotation of the support on the vehicle for winding the strip onto the roll;
and removing the wound roll from the support for disposal.
In accordance with an alternative arrangement of the invention there is provided an apparatus comprising:
a vehicle having ground wheels for movement over a floor of a containment area for raising hatchlings into birds;
the ground wheels being arranged for movement of the vehicle to follow a path of a strip of sheet material laid over the floor;
the vehicle having a hand bar such that the vehicle can be propelled by a pushing force from a user walking alongside the vehicle;
a support on the vehicle for receiving a roll of the sheet material such that the sheet material can be wound into the roll from the floor as the vehicle is moved across the floor;
the support being arranged for removal of the wound roll from the support when wound for disposal;
and the support being arranged to be driven from the ground wheels as the vehicle is propelled by pushing by the user walking alongside the vehicle.